IQ tests as opposed to intelligence tests tend to average out between the sexes. That said men tend to appear at the end of the scale more often and at the other end too, where as females tend to have a slightly more middlish deviation. But this is most likely to do with men being in general a little better at maths, the English parts of the test really don't test your language skills all that much in any more than a rough sense, language of course is as much about intuition and empathy, something women seem to excel at.

Anyone with the apparent interest to promote herself as the smartest person looks to me to be more an opportunist than necessarily smart.

With all her brain power is her biggest insight to life figuring out how to make money by claiming to be the smartest person?

Having a sense duty to the world is part of having a high IQ?

Making a very good living without really working might be selfish, but it doesn't seem like a very conclusive argument against having a high IQ. In fact, it really doesn't say anything about her IQ one way or the other.

This web page, http://www.wiskit.com/marilyn.html [Broken] has always been one of my favorites. Note that being wrong isn't a reflection on her intelligence, either, since the content of the answers are provided by her staff. She merely rewords them to make them more entertaining.

Note that testing high on an IQ test does not mean that you are smart. I have worked with some very intelligent people who lacked the common sense to avoid really obvious errors, including an engineer who failed to follow protocol in opening a valve feeding a critical additive to the paper machine, and caused at least 1/4 Million dollars in damage and the loss of an entire day's production, plus overtime to double-staff the machine crew and overtime for the maintenance staff to help clean up the mess.

Making a very good living without really working might be selfish, but it doesn't seem like a very conclusive argument against having a high IQ. In fact, it really doesn't say anything about her IQ one way or the other.

This web page, http://www.wiskit.com/marilyn.html [Broken] has always been one of my favorites. Note that being wrong isn't a reflection on her intelligence, either, since the content of the answers are provided by her staff. She merely rewords them to make them more entertaining.

She's a performer in the same way a magician is, and I for one don't begrudge her her talents or her ability to make problems seem easier than they might. I do think she really should be doing more than just entertaining the public though. If you're that smart then really you don't need to say it, genius is a title that can only be conveyed on you by others and for what you achieve with it not what you have inborn/acquired.

I do think she really should be doing more than just entertaining the public though.

She does do more than that.

Vos Savant lives in New York City with her husband Robert Jarvik, the inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart, whom she married in August 1987. They have two children. She is Chief Financial Officer of Jarvik Heart, Inc., and is involved in cardiovascular disease research and prevention.

I read that, but what has she actually revolutionised? I mean even "thickos" like Edison revolutionised the world by dint of their efforts, she has a greater expectation than the average moron before anyone should bestow the word genius on her. Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. I don't demean her cranial prowess, it's just we expect more than just a score on a table at point x from the best and brightest.

Think of it this way, if you start at a 1000 points in the game, and you achieve a score of 1456, then the person who started at 200 and got 2000 just owned you.

Stephen Hawking is a good example of someone who started with a good score, and then went on to make an impressive one, as is Einstein or Marie Curie.

Note that testing high on an IQ test does not mean that you are smart. I have worked with some very intelligent people who lacked the common sense to avoid really obvious errors, including an engineer who failed to follow protocol in opening a valve feeding a critical additive to the paper machine, and caused at least 1/4 Million dollars in damage and the loss of an entire day's production, plus overtime to double-staff the machine crew and overtime for the maintenance staff to help clean up the mess.

What was his IQ?

Was he good looking?

Not an unreasonable criteria for determining the likelihood of high IQ, by the way. People with high intelligence are more likely to attain success and status and to marry good looking spouses. Both intelligence and good looks can be inherited. Therefore, there should be some increased likelihood that an attractive person is also above average in intelligence.

He was a geek (Evo would have liked him) with horn-rimmed glasses, pocket protector, and a Mensa sticker on his car. Don't know his IQ, but his common-sense quotient was in the lower range for sure. As an old farmer neighbor of mine used to say, "intelligent, but not too bright".